Noel Cruz, a former staff member of the church Ignite Life Center entered a plea deal. Cruz faced charges related to sexual abuse and assault and has been involved in both criminal and civil proceedings, drawing attention to institutional responsibility.
On Tuesday, Cruz entered a no contest plea to one count of aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony, a third-degree crime. This type of plea indicates that Cruz did not admit guilt, but chose to accept the legal consequences of the charge. In his petition for plea agreement, Cruz, 23, said he stopped attending high school in 11th grade.
Judge David P. Kreider sentenced Cruz to 36 months of probation. Cruz avoided a potential five-year prison sentence and/or a fine of $5,000. According to court records, Cruz’s plea agreement requires him to pay court costs and serve community service. Cruz may also have an early termination of his sentence at 18 months if he completes all conditions and doesn’t violate his probation. He cannot have contact with the victim.
Cruz is not the only one involved in sex cases related to Ignite Life Center. In 2024, Gabriel Hemenez was sentenced to five years in prison followed by eight years of supervised probation and lifelong registration as a sexual offender. And Christian Vargas, the son of the church’s head pastors Mark and Lisa Vega, is still facing criminal charges. Vargas’ case is in the deposition phase, and he is scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 3.